Facebook rolls out cloud games on Apple devices through a web app

Facebook on Friday released cloud games on Apple devices through a web app for the Safari browser, a sign that the social network is continuing to double down on gaming even as it clashes with Apple over new rules. 

People can play cloud games instantly on a mobile device or web browser without having to download them. 

Facebook’s move comes after the social network raised concerns about Apple’s updates to its cloud gaming policy, which said that each streaming game must be submitted to the App Store as an individual app for review. The policy noted, though, that web browser apps could be used to reach users outside of the App Store. Using a web app is also a tactic other companies, such as Microsoft and Amazon, choose to launch cloud games on Apple devices.

“We’ve come to the same conclusion as others: web apps are the only option for streaming cloud games on iOS at the moment,” Vivek Sharma, vice president of Facebook Gaming, said in a statement. “As many have pointed out, Apple’s policy to ‘allow’ cloud games on the App Store doesn’t allow for much at all.” Sharma added that Apple’s cloud gaming policy creates “roadblocks” that prevent people from “discovering new games, playing cross-device, and accessing high-quality games instantly in native iOS apps.”

In a tweet, Facebook outlined how to play the cloud games on an Apple device.

Some of the games Facebook featured include Assassin’s Creed Rebellion, Risk: Global Domination and LEGO Legacy: Heroes Unboxed, but they may not be available in certain locations. 

Facebook said that even though the web app is available worldwide, cloud games can be played only in the US and parts of Canada and Mexico. Users who aren’t in those areas can play HTML5 games in the web app.